Can anyone help me?

Just wondered as an NQT who went into Secondary ICT teaching late, it would be unrealistic to apply for a HOD position at a school I am working at.  I have been working 2 days a week since sep, on a temp contract covering for the ICT coordinator, I also do supply on the other days at the same school. On one of the days I teach ICT and on the other days I teacher 2 other subjects.  In the ICT post I had to create all new KS3 SOW's and resources along with assessment and meeting for all non- specialist teachers teaching ICT lessons.  I have 2 years secondary teaching and 4 years ICT FE/HE teaching experience just not been able to complete all of my NQT.  I know I could being value to the school I am at, so why am I doubting myself?  I would be very cheap in comparrision, to someone on main scale 6.  However, I am not sure if the Head sees me as HOD material yet!  She has commended me in the past for my passion and hard work in ICT.  I am currently developing the school's VLE (moodle).  I have taught Edexcel GCSE ICT in a private school, produced SOWS, moderated etc.been a staff trainer and have taught on a degree programme at university part-time. I have a good ICT/Business degree and had excellent feedback when I completed my QTS, from the university, he said that I was the best ICT teacher he had seen for a while (which was last year).

My line manager has told me to apply for it, but I also need to be realistic and I know It will be an attractive  post, even though the school is quite rural.  I am very passionate about ICT and personally feel that my overall experience would be enough for this post.

 I think my inexperience in secondary or the fact that I am NQT could go against me!

Any comments please?

tholme10:

My line manager has told me to apply for it, but I also need to be realistic and I know It will be an attractive  post, even though the school is quite rural.  I am very passionate about ICT and personally feel that my overall experience would be enough for this post.

 I think my inexperience in secondary or the fact that I am NQT could go against me!

If your LM has told you to apply for it he/she obviously thinks you are at least a reasonable possibility. It is possible that you might just be a fallback candidate - incase no-one half decent applies. It also might be the case that he/she thinks you would be brilliant.

From what you say you have been doing a hell of a lot of work for a 40% timetable fill-in - doing the VLE and producing schemes of work, supporting press-ganged teachers.

Yes, you may be inexperienced but you have the huge advantage of being a known quantity. I've interviewed many teachers and there are so many who can *** effectively about the latest ideas and talk about what they will do and in practice they do sweet FA and they are a right PITA.  The SMT at your school *know* you can do the job, that you are sensible, and that you aren't going to cause a lot of hassle.

The Head may need to be convinced, well, you need to make sure you have a good letter / portfolio which details what you've done previously *and* in your this school. 

You might not be able to play the 'big super experienced person with shedloads of experience and lots of buzzword ideas"* - but you *can* play the "known reliable hard working persistent straight role" - and a lot of schools would be happy with that ; and as you say you are cheap (always important these days).

Anyway, do you have anything to lose ? If you don't get it, what does it matter ? 

* People like this who sound fantastic and talk all the buzzwords to pieces are often absolute sh1te in practice.

Incidentally, as someone who lives in what is on the face of it an 'attractive rural area' there are schools that struggle for staff, because housing can be pricey and there's no bonus for living in the country. One HoD had to recruit an ICT teacher from Jamaica (tbf, this may have been an excuse for a junket  ;-) )

Thank you for the positive comments.  I have now downloaded the application form and am about to write a letter (as per requirement)! about how I would take the school forward with ICT.

 I will choose my referees wisely, as I would really like this post.

Regards

Go for it! At the very least, it's some experience of the interview process and it will show the Head that you're an ambitious person. However, don't be disappointed if you don't get it, your lack of experience may well be the only issue, but it's also a very important issue.

I applied for a HoD job (at a different school) when i'd been only teaching for 2 years, but didn't get it - they gave it someone who wasn't even a subject specialist, but he WAS already HoD of a different subject. They obviously viewed experience as very important. Happily, I was successful forn an internal post in my 5th year of teaching.

Good luck!